Method of forming and applying the stitch-receiving ribs of innersoles.



J. V. POOLE. METHOD OF FORMING AND APPLYING THE STITCH RECEIVING RIBS 0F INNERSOLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I4. 1917.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918* UNTTED STATES PATENT QJFEFTQEQ I JESSE V. POOLE, OF ABING-TON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO LLOYD L.

LIVINGSTON, OF ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF FORMING AND APPLYING THE STITCH-RECEIVING RIBS 01E INNERSOLES.

11,281,831. Original application filed April 5, 1916,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE V. POOLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at. Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Forming and Applying the Stitch-Receiving Ribs of Innersoles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to enable innersoles adapted for the making of shoes by the Goodyear process to be produced rapidly and at low cost and at the same time in a manner such as to be strong and durable. Before further describing my present invention 1 will explain that the innersole used in Goodyear shoemaking has a rib projecting on one face to take the stitches of the seam, known in the art as the inseam, by which the edges of the upper and the welt are attached to the innersole. lnnersoles of this general type have been produced in many diverse forms, in one of which the body of the innersole and the rib are separate pieces secured together; the body being a flat piece of leather, leatherboard or other more or less homogeneous material, or a composite structure of textile fabric with leather or leatherboard or other material, and the rib being a strip folded longitudinally on or near its center line to form a ridge, and having its edge portions bent outwardly and laid fiat against the body, being stitched to the body at one or both sides of the folded central part, which forms the rib. In some instances the strip forming the rib is also cemented or otherwise adhesively secured to the face of the body. It is with an innersole of this character that my present invention is concerned, and my object is to provide a method of forming a fiat strip into a rib of the described formation and applying it to the innersole body at oneand the same time. The invention therefore consists in the mode of operation or method by which a strip or tape is bent into the form/of a rib and is applied in a progressive manner to the body of an innersole while in the bent condition. This invention was originally claimed in an Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. f5, 1918.

Serial No. 89,083. Divided and this application filed August 14, 1917. Serial No. 186,200.

body and a fiat strip. of textile fabric or other material suitable for forming the rib are fed together into the machine, by the aid of which the operation is carried out, and in the act of so feeding the strip it is folded or bent into the shape required for the rib as it approaches the inner sole body. After being brought into contact with the said body stitches are passed through the rib-forming strip at one or both sides of the part which forms the rib. This operation is carried on progressively throughout the entire part of the solo on which the rib is provided, commencing at the beginning point of the rib and continuing along the sole near one edge thereof toward the toe and back near the opposite edge of the sole to the point at which the rib ends, the strip being bent in the progress of thus applying it so as to follow approximately the outline of the sole. The idea intended to be emphasized at this point is that the folding of the rib, feeding it to the innersole body, feeding the innersole body simultaneously with the strip, and placing the stitches at the required points through the contact ng parts of the strip and the body constitute a continuing operation commencing at the beginning point of the rib and continuing progressively throughout the length of the lat ter to its ending point. The strip from which the rib is formed may be a band or tape of indefinte length which is severed afterbeing applied to the sole as above described, at the point where the rib so applied ends. I

T have shown a form of apparatus by the aid of which my method may be carried out, which will now be described, it being understood, however, that such illustration and description are not intended, and are not to be understood, as in any manner a restriction of the invention as claimed, for it is within my contemplation to carry out the than by the aid of this particular appa- 'si e of the r1b.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one part of the folding device, the complemental part thereof being removed.

Fig. 3 is an under plan view of that part of the folding apparatus which may be called the shaper.

Fig. 4. is a longitudinal central section of that part of the folding device which is shown in Fig. 2. p

. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 66 of Fi 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal central section of the complete folder.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the complete innersole, the product of the method herein described and claimed.

Fig. 10 is a cross section of such innersole.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in allthe figures.

The innersole, the production of which is the ultimate object of the present inven-.

tion, comprises a body 12 and a rib 13. Said body is a flat piece of any suitable innersole stock, or it may be a laminated structure made of a number of layers, of any suitable material or materials, being out to the outline required for a sole of this character. The rib 13 is made of a strip or tape of any suitable material, which may be a" textile fabric, notably cotton duck, although I am not restricted to any particular material. The part of the strip which may be called the rib proper is the central part, being formed by doubling the. strip lengthwise at or near its longitudinal center line in what may be called a central fold, and bending out the edge portions oppositely from one another on longitudinal folding lines, the location of which determines the height of the rib. The parts of the strip thus turned Y out form base flanges which are shown at 14 in the drawings, and lie flat against one surface of the innersole body. In being placed on the body the rib is guided so as to fol} low the outline of the sole at a distance back from the edge thereof as usual inarticles sort may be employed to unite the rib to the body, or adhesive may be combined with seams for this purpose.

The apparatus which I have used in p ducing innersoles of the sort above described and shown herein, comprises a sewlng' machine havmg combmed therewlth an attachment constructed and adapted to fold a flat tape or strip into the rib above described and to guide it into contact with one face of an innersole body. The particular sewing machine is neither my invention nor novel, wherefore I have shown only so much of the same in these drawings as is necessary to illustrate an embodiment of means for feeding an innersole body and for forming stitches and thus sewing a seam. The awls '17, shown in Figs. 1, 7, and 8, typify means for feeding the material, and the needles 18 means for forming stitches. The awls and needles are arranged at respectively opposite sides at the path in which the work is fed and the awls are in advance of the needles, that is'set over toward the side from which the work advances. It is to be understood that any of the mechanisms usual in shoe sewing machines, or any other suitable means, may be employed for passing awls into the innersole body to engage the same and at the same time puncture it to make passages for the needles, moving the awls toward the location of the needles to advance the work, Withdraw the awls, andreturn them to the first position or that any other means than awls suitable for feeding the work, may be used; and that the usual or any suitable mechanisms are provided for passing the needles through the work and for cooperating with the needles to form stitches in a seam. In Fig. 7 a table is represented at 19 and in Fig. 1 a presser foot is shown at 20.

To the table is fastened a folder 21 which has a lug 22 projecting under the table and receiving attaching means such as screws 23. The upper surface of the folder, or at least a part 24 thereof (see Figs. 2 and 4) constitutes a work support, or a part of a work support toward which the innersole body is pressed by the presser foot 20, the latter being operated in the usual manner or otherwise to permit feeding of the work. Said work supporting surface 24 is flush with the top surface of the table 19, as appears from Fig; 7 and on the latter is mounted a gage or guide 19, the edge of which serves as a gage for the innersole body. The forward part of the folder is inclined downwardly away from the plane of the supporting sur face 245, and over such inclined portion is placed a plate 25 firmly secured thereto as by screws 26 (Fig. 8) passing through holes 2 in theplate and into tapped sockets 28 in the body of the folder. A rib 29 projects from the under side of the cover plate 25 into the cavity of the folder and cooperates with the walls of said cavity in forming the strip into the stitch-receiving r b.

The cavity 30 of the folder is shown by the plan view .Fig. 2 and in section by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 The forward or entrance part of this cavity is deep and wide, having a transverse outline approximately equal to the width of the fabric strip, or possibly somewhat longer, being sufficiently open to enable the advancing end of a rib strip to be entered into it without difliculty. Toward the rear part of the folder the cavity bottom rises between the sides and the middle part to form rounded ledges 31 which gradually merge into shoulders 32 sharply defining a narrow groove 33 which is the outlet end of the folding cavity. The folding rib 29 occupies the central part of this cavity which is just enough wider and deeper to admit that part of the strip which forms the rib proper 13. It will be readily seen that the rib 29 forms the central fold 13 of the rib strip and that the ledges or shoulders 31, 32 indent the strip between its edges and the central fold to form the intermediate bends from which the base flanges 14 spring. The cover late 25 terminates approximately at the ang e between the supportin surface 14 and the forward art of the fol er, such angle being indicate at 3 Thus the completely folded rib strip issues with its base flanges lying against the supporting surface 24: and exposed so that the body of the innersole may be laid directly upon them. The supporting portion of the folder is cut away at 35 on both sides of the termination-of the groove 33 to give room for the entrance and feeding play of the awls. The needles operate just in rear of the rear end of the folder. Thus it will be seen that just as the rib strip is folded into the form of a rib, it is laid into contact with the innersole body, and that immediately thereafter both said body and the rib are' penetrated by the awl and propelled through a step of the feed, and that then threads are passe through the holes made by the awls and formed into stitches. These steps take place as part of a continuing operation which is carried out progressively throughout the entire length of the rib strip and of that part of the innersole body to which the strip is applied. During the operation of attaching the rib to the body, the step of stitching the rib to the body, the step of laying the rib against the body, the step of feeding the rib and body simultaneously and the step of folding an unfolded stretch of the rib strip into rib form, are constantly going forward. The process is evidently essentially the same and comprises the same steps when one or the other of the seams is omitted. In such case only one of the needles and one of the awls are necessary. In cases where both seams are omitted and adhesive is depended upon to secure the rib to the body, the steps of folding, feeding, and applying the rib strip against the body are present; and in addition there may be the further step of applying adhesive, or of softening a previously applied and dried adhesive prior to, or after, the laying of the rib against the innersole body.

It will be observed that during and after the formation of the central fold, and while the edge flanges are being bent outward, the central fold is supported and maintained in the proper form, the rib 29 serving that purpose; but that when the rib is attached to the body of the sole, and thereafter, the central fold, which now becomes the rib proper, is left unsupported. In effect the support for the central fold is withdrawn when. it is no longer needed, the time of thiswithdrawal being approximately simultaneous with the time of securing the flanges to the sole, although it may be slightly before or after this time. In speaking of the support for the central fold as being withdrawn, 1 do not necessarily mean that the supporting rib is actually moved, but include within the definition of the term withdrawn as herein used, any such relative movement between the stitch-receiving rib and the support as will have the effect of leaving such rib without any internal support after it has been attached. Such withdrawal may be effected either in the manner above described, or in other ways which will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and I include all such modes of withdrawal within the scope of the inven tion as claimed herein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making ribbed innersoles which comprises the steps of bending a strip into rib form, guiding said strip so formed into contact with one face of an innersole body, at the same time supporting the rib thus formed both internally and externally, and causing the stri to be secured to the body, all as parts 0 a continuous operation.

2. The method of maln'ng ribbed innersoles which comprises the steps of bending a strip into rib form, guiding said strip so formed into contact with one face of an innersole'body, at the same time supporting the rib thus formed both internally and externally, causing the strip to be secured to the body, all as parts of a continuous operation and progressively carrying out the foregoing steps throughout the extent of the stitch-receiving rib on the innersole.

3. The method of applying a stitch-receiving rib to an innersole body which consists in folding a fiat strip longitudinally into the form of a rib having base flanges and simultaneously feeding said str1p and an innersole 'and the adjacent part of the body.

4. The method of producing an innersole having an up-standin stitch-receiving rib which consists in bendmg an elongated narrow strip or tape double on approximately its longitudinal median line, and at the same time turning out the edge portions of the strip to form base flanges, placing the said base flanges against one face of an innersole body, progressively feeding said body and the rib so formed. in unison and carryin out the described folding operation progressively upon the strip so fed, and forming seams through said flanges and the body on both sides of the central fold progressively.

5. The method of producing an innersole havin an upstanding stitch-receiving rib which consists in doubling one end of a strip or tape at approximately its middle point and bending out the edge portions thereof to form flanges, laying the end of the strip so bent against the face of an innersole body, feeding the strip and body simultaneously and thereby progressively bending the strip into the form described,

and progressively stitching a seam through one of said flanges and the adjacent part of the innersole body.

6. The method of producing an innersole having an upstanding stitch-receiving rib which consists in progressively folding a strip or tape longitudinally approximately at its median line to form a rib proper and bending out the edges of the tape on longitudinal lines between said fold and such edges to form base flanges, placing the base flanges against the face of the innersole body,

and progressively folding the strip and immediately laying the partthereof so folded against the body, throughout a length of the strip sufficient to form an entire rib.

7. The method of producing a stitch-re ceiving rib and applying the same to an innersole body which consists in simultaneously feeding a strip and an irmersole body in converging paths, bending the strip double along a longltudinal line to produce a fold, supporting said fold and at the same time bending out the ed e portions of the strip to provide base anges which are brought against one face of the body, attaching the flanges to the body, and thereafter leaving said fold unsupported.

8. The method of producing an innersole which consists-in providing an innersole body and a substantially flat flexible strip or tape, bending the strip double longitudinally to form-a central fold, su porting said fold to hold it in shape an while thus supporting it, bending out the edge portions of the strip to form flanges, applymg and securing sald flanges to the face of the body,

and withdrawing the support for said central fold.

9. The method of producing an innersole which consists in providing a flat body and a flexible tape, progressively folding said signature.

JESSE V. POOLE. 

